


One Step at a Time

by ObsidianQuill (ObsidianRomance)



Series: Rhythm [6]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Family Bonding, M/M, Post Mpreg, Schmoop, cute baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-16 23:18:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11839086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObsidianRomance/pseuds/ObsidianQuill
Summary: Mikayla has a lot of firsts to tackle. But when she's ready to take her first steps, Ian's not on the same page yet.





	One Step at a Time

**Author's Note:**

> I know I promised some cute fluffy timestamps of Mikayla growing up. And since the sequel story for this 'verse deals with some heavy stuff (and happy stuff....like the first one), I figured that some fluff would be appreciated. Enjoy!

Ian’s yawn is so wide it's almost comical - that's how tired he is. He's more tired today than he'd felt after all of the sleepless nights he and Mickey spent raising a newborn.

But he guesses raising a newborn is a little bit what this feels like. Only, instead of raising his precious Mikayla, he's bringing up a store. It's a baby of a different caliber. He knew it would be difficult, but he's having a hard time dividing the workload and his personal life in a way that leaves time for actual sleep.

Yawning again, he shifts so that he can prop his cell phone to his ear with his shoulder. “Nah, Jay, that's not going to work,” he breathes out into the phone. His brain is shot. He can't figure out how they're going to manage the shop when both he and Jason are going to be busy constructing the actual furniture or making house calls for custom work. Custom work is his bread and butter and what keeps he and Mickey afloat in times when work isn't plentiful. “You know I can't afford to hire anyone just yet. I've already put too much of my money -” Jason cuts Ian off and he presses a finger to his temples. “I  _ know _ this is going to work. I  _ know _ it. I just can't figure out how to make it work right now.” Taking a deep breath, Ian falls so that his back lands against the foot of the couch. He’s sitting on the floor with Mikayla, his daughter playing a few feet in front of him with a set of wooden blocks he'd made her for her birthday. Sure, maybe Ian went overboard on making sure they were sanded smooth and made perfect for his princess but it'd been worth it. As simple as those blocks are, they are here favorite. Right now, she’s building two small piles before putting a hand on the top of each one and pushing herself up into a standing position. Each time, she looks at Ian with a triumphant grin that melts his heart. Returning the smile, he winks at Mikayla and remembers why all of this exhaustion is worth it. He and Mickey are trying to build a financially stable life for themselves and their daughter; having a storefront is a risk, but it's one that can pay off with a more stable flow of customers. Plus, a tangible showroom can lead to more home installs and more work for Mickey too. He's so lost in his thoughts about Kayla that he misses what Jason says. “What?”

“ _ I said, Naomi can help out in the shop. As long as she can bring Jayda when my mother-in-law can’t watch her. Hell, we both usually bring our kids to work half the time anyway. You wouldn't have to pay her for now.” _ Jason’s voice filters through the phone. “ _ She’s kinda invested in this working out too.” _

“Shit.” Ian must be fucking tired because he hadn't even thought of that option. “That could work...I mean...Mickey helps out a lot of the time anyway. And between the two of them...this could work.”

“ _ I know it could. That's why I said it.” _ Jason laughs. “ _ You okay man? I said it twice before your brain finally decided to get in on the conversation. _ ”

“Yeah, I'm good. Just…”

“...tired,” they both say at the same time.

That prompts a vibrating laugh to erupt out of Ian. “Listen, Jay...I’m working this medical insurance thing out. Gonna make it happen. And if I can't pay Naomi just yet, at the very least I will make sure I’ve got her health insurance covered.”

“ _ Appreciate that. It's been hard for her to find steady work that is worth the cost of childcare. So...we appreciate it. _ ”

“We're in this together, man. I couldn't do it without you.” He means it. Hiring Jason is one of the best decisions Ian's made in his adult life. Jason ended up being more than just a trusted employee. He’s a sounding board for parenting issues and comes with as supply of hand-me-downs for Mikayla. He's also, despite Mickey’s gripping, one of their closest friends. It's funny to think that, for the first few minutes of knowing him, Jason once made Mickey jealous. But it's also reassuring that Mickey got over that fairly quick and Ian can always depend on them ragging on each other and pushing each others buttons in a way that indicates actual friendship.

Looking up, Ian notices that Mikayla has gotten solid footing and is standing straight up without the help of her blocks. She's got a determined press to her lips, making her look completely like her other father. One of her little legs steps out but, before it can hit the carpet, Ian’s brain registers that she is a majority of the way towards walking for the first time. “Shit,” he shouts too loudly, moving on autopilot to kick his right leg out and connect his toes with Mikayla’s middle. It's a gentle tap but it's enough to offset her delicate balance and send her falling back into a seated position on her diapered butt. Still yelling, Ian tells Jason, “I gotta call you back!” then disconnects the call. “Mick!” he calls for his boyfriend over his shoulder. “Mick! Come in here!”

Startled, Mikayla begins crying but it's the shallow cries that don't mean anything other than “give me attention”. She stops almost as soon as she starts but the cries are enough to reach Mickey’s ears, despite him being behind the closed door of the bathroom. Entering the room in only a towel wrapped around his waist, as he tends to shower immediately after coming home from a messy day of work, he knots the terrycloth more firmly around his hips. “What?” He searches the room and spots Mikayla’s furrowed brow and pouty lips. “What’s she getting dramatic about?” Mickey pauses for a minute to cock his head at Ian. Changing tactics, he gives Ian a sideways quirk of his lips and asks, “what did you do?”

“Me?” Ian asks, touching his pointer finger to his chest and attempting to look innocent but fumbling and mostly making matters worse when he lets out an awkward chuckle. “Me? I didn’t do anything. She just…” Ian scrunches his nose. He has no idea what to say. He sure isn’t telling his boyfriend that he toppled their daughter over on purpose. Hell, he’s not even sure why he did it. It was just a gut reaction. Mikayla has been all perfect and sweet. A little spit-fire at times, sure, but she’s been their tiny baby. The thought of her walking is both terrifying and a slap to the face. When had she gone and gotten so big? Sure, the signs had been there for months. Mikayla’s been a lazy little princess and probably could have been walking by now, but she’d been content to be carried by her parents. She’s a few weeks past her first birthday and Ian’d thought for sure she’d be walking months ago. When she actually attempted it, however, Ian wasn’t ready for it. And - call him sentimental - he definitely wasn’t ready for it to happen without Mickey around. “I think she was about to walk. For real. None of that bouncing around on her legs or holding onto things.”

“Uhh huh,” Mickey says, not quite sure if that’s the full story. He puts a hand on his hip. “Kids walk every day, Ian.”

“Yeah but,” Ian gets out. Choosing instead to focus on his daughter, he sing-songs to her. “Come on princess, show Tato what I’m talking about.” Leaning closer he reaches a hand out towards her.

As if she remembers her father’s betrayal, Mikayla pouts all the harder, pulling both hands into curled fists against her chest. She makes a puppy whimper but it dissolves when Ian gives her a wide goofy grin.

“There’s my girl,” Ian smiles. But it’s too late, Mickey caught every single word in Mikayla’s body language.

“What did you do?” Mickey repeats.

“Mick, listen,” Ian starts, figuring out a way to get away with his plan but ends up with his shoulders slumping in defeat. “I may have...just maybe...um...knocked her down?”

“You  _ what?” _ Both of Mickey’s eyebrows arch towards his hairline. “Why the fuck would you do that?”

“I dunno!” Ian holds both of his palms up. “I just...she just…” Sighing, he shakes his head. “I dunno. She just looked like she was going to take a step and I panicked. I didn’t even really think about doing it and then suddenly she was on the floor.”

Mickey’s eyebrows raise seemingly higher, wheels in his brain spinning to figure out what to say. “You pushed our daughter,” he bluntly states.

“Nudged. I  _ nudged _ her. And look, she’s fine.” Ian points to Mikayla, who is all smiles again and pushing herself up onto her legs all on her own.

“Not the point. Why would you even - ” but Mickey’s words are cut off as Mikayla shows him exactly what Ian was talking about. She gets her balance and takes a wobbly step forward, prompting Mickey to breathe out, “shit.” For all his previous ambivalence about the moment, seeing his daughter walk seems to have floored him and he smiles.

Determination is back on Mikayla’s face as she takes another step, choosing a direction that is very obviously headed towards Mickey. “Tata!” She yell loudly, her big blue eyes looking up at her father’s matching ones. “Tata!”

“Look at you, baby girl.” Mickey crouches down, elbows resting on his towel covered knees, so that he is more on her level. His smile glows and he’s all love and adoration for the little person he helped create. When Mikayla seems to hesitate and wobble just enough for her determination to slip, Micky adds, “come on baby, you’ve got this.”

Getting over-excited, Mikayla steps out quickly, making it look a little like she’s stumbling rather than walking, but she manages to cross the gap between her and Mickey. Tumbling into her father’s arms with a triumphant peal of giggles, the sound of her voice latches onto Mickey’s heart. “Tata!”

And suddenly, Ian knows why he knocked her down. The scene right in front of him is all the answer he needs. He’s used to Mickey brushing off sentimental moments but he also knows that all isn’t always what it seems. Deep down, Mickey responds to those moments just as much as Ian does. Mickey’s gotten better about showing it but sometimes he still puts up a front in fear of disappointment. The moment between Mickey and Mikayla is something the older man deserves. Both he and Ian have walked through fire to get to where they are, but Mickey  _ deserves _ this. Ian knows Mickey wouldn’t have cared if Mikayla walked to Ian first, but there is something about his boyfriend and their daughter’s bond that makes this moment all the sweeter.

Like they’re psychically linked, Mickey locks eyes with Ian. “Thanks,” he whispers, his chin resting on Mikayla’s head while the little girl snuggles into her father.

“I didn’t do anything. Pretty sure she just figured all that out on her own...though Katie might have helped. That woman’s been trying to get her to walk for weeks.” Ian smiles.

“Yeah, well, I think she just wants us to know the pain of a kid who climbs on everything.” Mickey snorts out a laugh. He's beaming with pride over what his daughter can do. Throwing Mikayla in the air, he gets a few giggles out of her before setting her back on her feet and turning her so that she’s facing Ian. “Go ahead. Walk to daddy.” The moment is cliche as can be but neither man cares.

The child considers this request and Mikayla starts off strong by taking two steps towards Ian but then falls on her butt and decides it’s easier to scoot the rest of the way. When she finally gets to her father, she claps her hands and give a toothy smile. “Dada up?” The way she blinks her blue eyes almost seems like she’s aware of how adorable she is.

Ian laughs because Mikayla is completely manipulating him. She’s just proved to them that she can walk but now she’s showing off her ability to string two words together to make Ian her slave. Maybe her walking isn’t so terrifying as his brain immediately thought. Mostly, all he is feeling is warm waves of happiness and the soaring of his heart.

Mickey swoops in and pulls her up onto her feet. “Come on, you know how to walk. You don’t need ‘up’.”

Except Mikayla has apparently decided that she does because she plops herself down on her butt and reaches both hands up towards Mickey. “Tata up?” Her aim is deadly and she’s too cute. Mickey doesn’t stand a chance, leaving no one surprised when he bends down and hoists her into his arms.

“Little brat,” Mickey says under his breath, his tone loving, and he presses a kiss to Mikayla’s temple. Turning to Ian, he states, “I’m not baby proofing the kitchen cabinets. You build the furniture, that seems like a job for you.”

“Oh, who’s the brat now?”

The only response Ian gets is Mickey throwing a flip of his middle finger Ian’s way as he totes their daughter into the kitchen for dinner.

The day has been an exhausting one but suddenly Ian’s not tired anymore. Mikayla may have just hit a simple milestone but it’s the fact that she keeps hitting milestones that has Ian wide awake. He’s done good.

Mickey’s done good.

They’re doing great.

And Mikayla? She’s amazing.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading. I was going to include a little flashback of her first words and who she said them to, but then it developed into a larger chunk of text and I am going to make it into it's own timestamp. Plus, we finally actually get to really meet Naomi and Jayda in that story, which people have been asking me about.
> 
> NOTE - Mikayla calls Mickey Tata instead of Tato (A Ukranian version of papa) because it is easier for her to say. Despite adults using the correct term "Tato", no one really corrects her because: 1) Mickey thinks she is perfect and if she wants to call him Tata, then that's fine with him. 2) It's damn cute.
> 
> Also - Though both Ian and Mickey call Mikayla "princess", Mickey is the only one who refers to her as "baby girl". It's something people may not have picked up on in any of the stories.
> 
> I also snuck in some world building by giving a few hints about life at Ian's furniture business that will be a larger part of the sequel. Thanks again for reading!


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